Portable prison.



J. B. KIMBBLL.

PORTABLE PRISON.

APPLIUATION IILBD NOV. 27, 1909.

954,305, Patented Apr. 5, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1- AYTOR/VE VS WITNESSES J. B. KIMBELL.

PORTABLE PRISON.

APILIGATION FILED NOV. 27, 1909.

Patented Apr. 5, 1910.

3 SHEETS-B1113! 5.

IVI/ENTOR (12/211 1?. Mkzza/Z WITNESSES ATTORNEYS J. B. KIMBELL.

PORTABLE PRISON.

APPLIGATION FILED HOV. 27, 1909.

Patented Apr. 5, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WITNESSES ATTORNE Y8 JOHN Barron gunmen,

romance PRISON.

Specification of Letters Patent.

or columns, enonom.

Patented Apr. 5, 1910.

Application filed November 27, 1909'. Serial No. 530,185.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN B. KIMBELL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cordele, in the county of Crisp and State of Geor ia, have invented a new and Improved ortablePrison, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact descripcharacters of re erence denote correspondin parts in all the views, and in which-,-

ignre 1 is a erspecti've view of two vans constructed an arranged to form a single detention structure or prison; Fig; 2 is a fioor'plan view of a detention structure or prison formed by combining three vans constructed and arranged in accordance with the resent invention; Fig. 3 is a vertical lon tudinal section taken on'the line 3-3 in ig. 2; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the lower corner of a van showing means for locking the structural members in position; Fig. 5* is a ers pective view of a lower corner of the atticed wall showing the latticed construction for, the ventilating side;

confinement durin and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of an 11 per corner of the latticed wall and end wal adjoining, showing in con'unction therewith a flexible curtain used or closing the latticed sides.

The invention herein described is applicable to prison vans employed in many States for the transportation of convict laborers. The method heretofore employed has been tortransport these laborers in confined quarters, such as might be provided by the ordinary prison vans. Considerable inhumanity has resulted from the too close periods of leisure, such ours and on Sundays or other national olidays in which laborers of this class'pa-rticipate. The present invention has for its chief purpose to overcome the above stated disadvantages in the presentmethod and means, for transferrin and restraining labor of the class describe To form the detention chamber, or prison,

as after workin constructed in ac'cordancewith the resent invention, two classes of vans are use The one class consists in a van 11, which is provided with a gable roof 12, the ridge of which is considerably higher than the roof 13 of a van 14. Both classes of vans are suitably mounted upon carrying wheels 15, 15 and trucks provided therefor. The trucks and bolsters mounted thereon, in both classes of vans, are the same height, so that floors 16, 16 in both vans are at a common level when the wheels 15,15 rest upon a common level.

In the class of van designated by the numeral 11, sides 17, 17 are pivoted at 18, 18 in the solid ends of the van structure and by a rod extended from end to end of the structure being held rigid by suitable thills mounted in the under edge of the eaves of the roof 12. At the lower edge of the sides 17 are" formed extensions 19, 19*, having'per forations- 20, 20 extended lengthwise therethrough. The extensions 19 are adapted to fill recesses 21, 21 formed in the outer edge of the floor 16. A longitudinal perforation is extended through the floor structure at the outer edge to receive rods 22, 22. The perforations 20 aline with the perforations 1n the edge of the floor 16 so that when the rods 22 are threaded through the perforations in the outer edge of the floor they like wise are threaded through the perforations 20- in the extensions 19.

The rods 22 are providedat the one end with an overturned head or bentend. At the opposite end the rods are provided with alongitudinal slot to receive wedge shaped bolts 23 23, in the lower end of which are provided perforations to receive the shackle of a padlock 2A.

When the sides 17, are dropped into position, and the rods 22 are threaded through the edge of the floors 16 and the extensions 19', the slot in the end of the said rods is ex osed. 45y dropping the wed e shaped bo ts 23, 23' into the said slots t e 'sides 17, 17 are rigidly mounted an retained in position. The rear end 25' ot the van 11 is formed solidly. A ventrlat1ng window may be termed therein, if such provision be desired. In this van, however, it will be understood that the opening would be properly and securely barre At the opposite end of the van, orforward end thereof, and in the end wall 26', is formed a door 27. The door 27 is securely hinged at 28,

28. When closed the door is fastened by means of a suitable padlock 29, the shackle of which passes through a staple 30 over which a hinged hasp 31 is passed. In the mid structure of the van are provided vertical stanchions 32, 32. These are constructed of any suitable form of metal, preferably angle or channel beams being used. These stanchions' are rigidly secured to the floor 16 and the roof 12.

The van designated by the numeral 14 is provided with the single pitch roof 13 and solid ends 33 and 34. The shorter side of the van is provided with a suitable metal lattice 35. The lattice 35 may be substituted by any preferred form of cell structure. Formed in the lattice structure is a door 36, by means of which entrance may be gained to the van 14 when the same is operated as a single structure. This door 36 is provided with suitable means for securing the same against outbreak of the passengers. In the mid, structure of the van are provided stanchions 37, 37, formed and arranged in all respects similar to the stanchions 32, 32 formed in the van 11. Q The taller side 38 of the van 14 is permanently hinged to the floor 16 of the van. It is provided at the upper edge with extensions similar in allrespects to the extensions 19 shown in the sides 17 of the van 11. In the position in which the side 38 closes the side of the van 14, it islocked by-a locking rod 22, bolt 23 and padlock 24 similar in all respects to those above described with reference to the van 11.

The van 14 is provided with auxiliary hinged sides 39, 39. When the van 14 is operated as a single vehicle, the sides 39, 39 are bolted upon the ends34, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 and full lines in Fig. 2 of the drawin s. At the free, or o emng edge of the si cs 39, 39 are provide hasps 40, 40. The hasps 40, 40 are so disposed that when the combined structure is formed, the slotsin the said has s strike over staples 41, 41 secured in the on s of the van 11.

\Vith vans constructed and arranged as above described, a single detention room is formed by combining a van 11 either with one of the vans 14 or with two of the said.

vans 14. In Fi 1 the combination of a sin 1e van 11 an a single van 14 is shown. In igs. 2 and 3 the combination of vans shown is that of one of the vans 11 and two of the vans 14.

The vans, when bein used as vehicles, are

separated, and the si es 17, 17 and 38 are locked in the ositions wherein they close the sides of t e respective vans to which the belong. Also, the sides 39, 39 are fol ed back upon the-ends 33 and 34 of the van 14. The prisoners being distributed in the two separated vans, the vans are carried to the next station. Having arrived at the station the vans are drawn side by side and removed each from the other at the proper distance. Prior to the van 14 being drawn into position, the'side 17 of the van 11 adjacent to the van 14 isreleased from the engagement with the rod 22, and is raised to a suspended position. The van 14 is then drawn into position under the outwardl extended ed e of the said side 17. The si e 17 is then :11 owed to rest upon the roof 13 of the van 14. The side 38 of the van 14 is then released and dropped downward until the extensions 19 formed in the upper edge of the said side 38 rest within the recesses 21, 21 in the eel e of the floor 16 of the van 11. The rod 2 is then passed through the edge of the floor 16 and the extensions 19 of the side 38. The rod is'locked in position I by the padlock 24. The sides 39, 39 are then folded over the sides formed by the ends 34 of the van 14, the ends 26 of the van 11 the side 38 of the van 14 and the side 17 of the van 11. As stated, the hasps 40, 40 extend over the staples 41, 41 in position to receive a padlock therein, and thereby securely bind in locked position the sides 39, 39 of the structure now formed. In this position of the joined-vans it will be found that a single room, bound by the side walls, and formed by theends 34, 34, the sides 39, 39, the ends 26, 26, one side 17, and the opposite end formed with the lattice 35. The floor for the compartment is formed by thev floors 16 of both vans and the side 38 connected therewith. The roof for the compartment is formed by the roof 12 of the .van 11 and the roof 13 of the van 14, and the side 17 extended from the van 11 and'resting over the roof 13 of the van 14. The side 17 is securely locked in position on the roof 13.

When a second van 14 isemployed, it is drawn alon "ide the van 11 on the opposite side thereo and the second side 17 is raised to be extended over the roof 13 of the second van 14. The second van 14 is secured to the van 11 in the manner above described with' Between the stanchions 32, 32 are formed the sleeping bunks. These may also be formed in the rear ends of the vans 14, 14. As a rule, the vans are constructed 16 feet in length by 6 feet in width, the dimensions referring to the inside floor measure. This provides ample room for the passage of the occupants within the compartment. When desired, the van 11 may be further equipped with suitable water closet or toilet accessories.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A portable prison comprising a pin rality of portable vehicles having sides adapted to be laterally extended to form the floor and roof of a single apartment; removable end walls to close the opening between the extended roof and extended floor and between the fixed end walls of the vehicle bodies; and suitable fastening devices for securing the said extended sides and removable end walls in position.

2. A portable prison comprising a plurality of portable vehicles mounted on carrying wheels and having sides adapted to be laterally extended to form the floor and roof of a single apartment; removable end walls to close the opening between the ex tended roof and extended lloor and between the fixed end walls of the vehicle bodies; and suitable fastening devices for securing the said extended sides and removable end walls in position.

3. A portable prison comprising a plu rality of portable vehicles having sides adapted to be laterally extended to form the tloor and roof of a single apartment, one of said vehicles havin a door opening in one of the sides thercot and having full end walls, and one of said vehicles having a door openin in one end wall thereof and having full side walls; removable end walls to close the opening between the extended roof and extended floor and between the fixed end walls of the vehicle bodies; and suitable fastening devices for securing the said extended sides and removable end walls in position.

4. A portable prison comprising a plurality of portable vehicles having sides adapted to be laterally extended to form the floor and roof of a single apartment; removable end walls to close the opening between the extended roof and extended fioor and between the fixed end walls of the vehicle bodies, said walls being hinged in vertical disposition on the body of one of said vehicles; and suitable fastening devices for securing the said extended sides and removable end walls in position.

5. A portable prison comprising a plurality of portable vehicles having sides adapted to be laterally extended to form the floor and roof of a single apartment, one of said vehicles having a door opening in one of the sides thercot and having i'ull end walls, and one of said vehicles having a door opening in one end wall thereof and having full side walls; removable end walls to close the opening between the extended root and extended floor and between the lixcd end walls of the vehicle bodies. said walls being hinged in vertical disposition on the body of one of said vehicles; and suitable fastening devices for securing the said extended sides and removable end walls in position.

6. A portable prison comprising a pinrality of portable vehicles having sides adapted to be laterally extended to form the lloor and roof of a single apartment, one of said vehicles having a door opening in one of the sides thereof and having all end walls, and one of said vehicles having a. door opening in one end wall thereof and having full side walls; removable end walls to close the opening between the extended root and extended lloor and between the fixed end walls of the vehicle bodies. said walls being hinged in vertical disposition on the body of one of said vehicles; pcrt'o rated extensions on the lloor edges of all of said removable sides and walls; correspond ing extensions on the fixed vehicle bodies; fastening rods adapted to pass through the said extensions to lock the said movable members and lixed body members together; and a suitable locking device to prevent the withdrawal of said rods.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN BRITON KIMBELL.

\Vitnesses H. M. VVILLIAMSoN, E. M. Mason. 

